Songs About Not Giving Up And Moving Forward: Life, Love, Relationships

The first song about not giving up on life is a play on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony mixed with a contemporary song. Beethoven’s 5th Symphony has the famous 4-note motif that represents your life knocking on your door and adding urgency to your actions. This current song uses this famous motif in its melody and also in its meaningful lyrics where the protagonist goes near-mad hearing the sound of Beethoven urging him on.

Here is a longer analysis of this existential song, and here is the song:

The story follows the protagonist as he envisions a future where he failed and didn’t achieve any of his goals. Yet he keeps going, sometimes not knowing if the chase is too much or worthwhile. One of my favorite lyrics of this song is:

Did I run away or chased some make-believe crown? I got so crazed, even the critics quieted down.

In the end, this protagonist did achieve things, but was faced with one of life’s realities that achievement does not necessarily mean fulfillment. Here is another core lyric of the song:

My soul not sold, I became a lion who roared.

But my heart didn’t soar. What was it all for?

It’s a devastating realization. What is there to do after that? According to the protagonist of the song who is haunted by Beethoven, the only thing to do after that is not to give up, but keep going. The last verse of the song has the following lyrics:

Journey completed, fulfillment omitted.

But to Ludwig’s 5th I’m forever committed.

My soul still bursting from every pore.

Laughing madly, I charge gale winds once more.

Even in the struggle and confusion of what really is success, the song sticks with its guns about not giving up and trying again.

Don’t Stop Believing by Journey

This is a classic song. It features great storytelling about characters who set out to accomplish something big after having humble beginnings. As the song progresses the song’s lyrics “wine and cheap perfume” hint at some of the trials and tribulations a person might experience on their journey, and the song urges them to keep believing!

The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel

This is another classic song about facing hardships, and not giving up despite every challenge. It’s about a man who is alone in New York, trying to find his way, trying to get a job, and succeeding in none of those endeavors.

Songs About Not Giving Up On Love Or A Relationship

This next song combines hope and love, the two common elements of a great love song. Songs usually go in two directions on this. They hoped for love is either attained or it is unattainable and the song becomes sad.

First song, about an enchanting woman. This is a song about losing a love many years ago, but still remembering that person, thinking they would come back. There is a very touching lyric at the end of the song:

Maybe she still remembers me and thinks of me with favor.

And so the heavens favor her for that.

She probably still writes to me, but postmen have grown old.

And long ago, all the addresses have changed.

She’s probably still writes to me love letters in the clouds.

But I’ve grown old and can’t read clouds anymore.

The second song about not giving up on love is about not having it and dreaming about it, and ruining your chance at it when you finally do get that chance.

Here is that sad love song:

Song About Loneliness, Hope And Not Giving Up On A Relationship – Open Ended Love Song

What’s interesting about this song is how dreamy and tender this song starts out in the portrayal of the love that these two people have for each other. Here are the lyrics of the first two verses that portray just how much the two people in this song dream about each other:

Every night she slept dreaming of me.

And in my dreams, she was all I could see.

We met on the stars as we closed our eyes.

Swirling around each other in midnight skies.

We painted sunsets lavender

While sharing dreams in love whispers.

Until sunrise broke the spell – time to part.

Waking apart missing half of our hearts.

I really like the portrayal of “They met on the stars as they closed their eyes.” Later in the song, these two meet, but as life would sometimes have it, these two turn out to be all too human and don’t seize the moment. Their love never comes true. But they don’t give up on it. They just go back to dreaming about it and live in their dreams. In some way, it’s sweet, but in another way, it’s quite a sad love song because it’s about loneliness when not getting love.

Songs About Not Giving Up On Life

The next song is about making decisions earlier in life, seeing them go wrong, and still choosing to fight for them. This song is a riff on a common misinterpretation of Robert Frosts’ poem “The Road Less Traveled” where the protagonist chooses one path and wonders what would a different path be like if he had chosen it.

This song has a fun and catchy chorus:

Awareness wants to look away.

But her imagination likes to play.

Regret and pride fought as my mind unraveled,

Looking back at my road less traveled.

The idea of a mind unraveling looking back at your own road less traveled is a relatable one. Life is quite a journey with many twists, turns, disappointment, and even regrets when we are honest with ourselves. But the protagonist of this song does not give on life. The turning point of the song has these lyrics:

I fought myself right from the start,

Keeping me from fully following my heart.

Don’t wish my road on anyone – it pained and left me stunned.

But you know what I faced it, fought, wavered, but didn’t run.

These lyrics acknowledge that things didn’t quite work out and weren’t perfect in life. They even admit the all-too-human condition of often being your own worst enemy. But in the end, the protagonist of this song is proud of the fact that he stood in there through the challenges and didn’t run from them. He didn’t give up on life and his song is a testament to it.